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COVID-19 Scams

During times of crisis, scammers will use feelings of uncertainty and worry against you. Below are scams that have come up in relation to COVID-19. For more information on fraud, scams, and how to protect yourself, visit our Fraud and Security blog page.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has also set up alerts for consumers. Visit the FTC website to sign up for email updates.

General Scam Tips

Fact-check information. Scammers, and sometimes well-meaning people, share information that hasn’t been verified. Visit What the U.S. Government is Doing for links to federal, state, and local government agencies.

Know who you’re buying from. Online sellers may claim to have in-demand products, like cleaning, household, and medical supplies when they don't, or they'll charge much more than legitimate sellers.

As always, don’t click on links from sources you don’t know. They could download viruses onto your computer and result in personal information being stolen.

Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation, and refuse to donate in the form of cash, gift cards, or wiring of money.

Current Scams

Government Check Scams

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has warned Americans that criminals are likely to take advantage of the coronavirus crisis to target financial information, and urged taxpayers to be on the lookout for malicious calls, texts, emails and social media posts that requested financial or other personal information. These scams could lead to identity theft or tax fraud.

In particular, the IRS highlighted a new “wave” of dangerous phishing emails around the coronavirus stimulus checks that the agency is preparing to either directly deposit in bank accounts or mail out over the next several weeks. The IRS will not call you to verify or collect financial information, nor will they send you unexpected emails on the topic. Anyone asking for information and promising that you'll get a faster payment in return is attempting to scam you.

Phone Scam

Scammers are using illegal robocalls to pitch everything from scam treatments to work-at-home schemes. The recording might say that pressing a number will let you speak to a live operator or remove you from their call list, but it may instead lead to more robocalls. Hang up on robocalls and don’t press any numbers.

Scammers Pretending to be the FDIC

Fraudsters know that people trust the FDIC name, so scammers use the FDIC’s name and logo, and even the names of actual employees, in perpetrating fraudulent schemes. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself against government imposters like these:

The FDIC does not send unsolicited correspondence asking for money or sensitive personal information, and will never threaten you.

No government agency will ever demand that you pay by gift card, wiring money, or digital currency.

The FDIC would never contact you asking for personal details, such as bank account information, credit and debit card numbers, social security numbers, or passwords.